Daguerreotype-plate holder



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID SHIVE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DAGUERREOTYPE-PLATE I-lOLDER4 Specification of Letters Patent No,13,665, dated October 9, 1855.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, DAVID SHIvn, of the city of Philadelphia and Stateof Pennsyh vania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inDaguerreotype-Plate Holders; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is aperspective view, showing the holder opened to the position required forreceiving the plate; Fig. 2, a like view of the same previous to itsbeing so opened; and Fig. 8, a transverse vertical section of the same(containing the plate) through the middle, showing one of the threespiral springs which tend to keep the holder closed, and cause it thusto clasp the plate by its edges when it is placed between the hooksattached to the top and projecting from the sides of the holder, likeletters indicating the same parts when in the different figures.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing a two-partdaguerreotype plate holder, and combining together the several piecesforming the same, that by simply grasping orpressing firmly with onehand, the two opposite lower sides or edges thereof, the two part-s arecaused to slidel within each other (their upper sides overlapping) so asto cause the two parts to separate on the upper side of the holder=sufficiently to admit of a daguerreotype plate being laid thereon by theother hand, between hooks which are attached to and project from the twoopposite sides or edges of the plate, and so that when the pressure ofthe grasping hand is relaxed, the said separated parts on` the top, bythe expansive force or pressure of two or more springs fixed between theparts, beneath the upper side, the said separated parts are caused toreturn toward each other, so that the said hooks, attached andprojecting from the two opposite sides, catch on the edges of the plateand hold it firmly down upon the upper side of the holder, thus avoidingthe necessity of touching the polished surface of the plate, by the handor fingers, (an objection incident to almost all other deguerreotypeplate holders,) and thus also avoiding the necessity of bending downsmall portions of the edges of the plate,'as required for the improvedholder patented by Samuel Peck, April 30/50.

Referring to the drawings, A, A, are the two parts of the holder, eachpart being composed of the several pieces so arranged, combined andinterlaced with each other, that when the two parts are pressed togetherby the hand, the two outer overlapping pieces (a, a) on the upper side,and which are provided with the hooks (Z), Z), and b" b), separate ormove out-- wardly, so as to admit of placing the daguerreotype platethereon and between the said hooks.

Beneath the intersliding pieces (a2, a3) two or more spiral springs (B)are fixed, so as to tend continually to keep the two parts (A, A)separated at the lower part of the holder, and together or in contact attheir inner edges on the face or upper side-the top pieces of each partoverlapping the middle pieces of each other, and being held in place soas to slide in opposite directions with each other, without losing theparallelism which the two parts (a, 65,) have in relation to each other.

The hooks (b 6') are made of thin or sheet trap, and so bent and securedto the pieces (a a) as to catch upon the edges of the plates withoutprojecting above the surface of the same, so as to leave an even,unobstructed, and slightly arched or curved form to the surface of theplate holder, as shown in the drawings. The spiral springs (B) aresecured by their ends being let into shallow holes made on the innersides of the two parts of the holder as shown in Fig. 3.

Operation: The device being held between the fingers and the base of thethumb of one hand, by grasping it below the hooks (Z), b), theoperatorpresses the two parts of the lower side toward each other, thus causingthe overlapping pieces (a, a,) with the hooks ZJ,) attached thereto, torecede from each other, when, with the thumb and fingers of the otherhand holding the late by its edges, he places it on the face of theholder, and relaxing the pressure on the sides of the holder, thesprings (B) force the lower parts from each other, thus causing theoverlapping pieces to approach toward each other until the hooks (Y), b)

catch upon the edges of the plate, thus securing the same firmly downupon the slightly curved face of the holder, when it becomes ready forplacing in the polishing machine.

The utility and superior advantages of my invention, in comparison withothers heretofore used or known, are shown in the facts, that the actionof the holder upon the plate causes it to receive a slightly curved orarched form upon its faced surface or side, which is especiallyadvantageous in the process of polishing, and in not requiring smallportions of the edges of the plate to be bent down so as to secure it tothe holder, thus avoiding a very ob jectionable requisite in the twopart holder of Mr. Peck, and also in the fact that the plate can bereadily attached to, and separated from my improved holder, Withouttouching the surface of the same; an objection especially incident tothe use of holders generally used, and finally in the greaterconvenience in using (being operated by one hand) and in the generaadaptation of my invention for the purposes required in a daguerreotypeplate holder.

I do not claim a two-part daguerreotype plate holder; nor do I claimactuating the two parts by means of springs and the force of the hands,but

`What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isA daguerreotype plate holder so constructed that when its under side iscompressed by the hand of the operator as described, its upper sideshall expand so as to admit of the plate bein@ placed between the hooks(b and b Z2 thereon, and so that when the pressure of the hand isrelaxed, the said upper side shall contract, causing the hooks and b b)to catch upon the outer edges of the plate and hold it firmly upon theface of the holder, substantially as described and set forth.

DAVID SHIVE.

l/Vitnesses BEN. MORRISON, CHARLES D. FREEMAN.

